Entertainment

Alicia Rhett dies

The star was one of the oldest surviving members of the cast of the 1939 US Civil War epic, and died of natural causes at her home in Charleston, South Carolina, aged 98.

Bill Trawick, CEO of the Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community, where she had lived since 2002 said: "Truly a beautiful woman, her passion for the arts and love of Charleston were unrivaled... Alicia was a kind and gentle lady."

The actress was appearing in local theatre productions when she was spotted and cast in 'Gone With the Wind', in which she played the character of India Wilkes, sister of plantation owner Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) who finds herself at odds with one of the main characters, Scarlett O'Hara - played by Vivien Leigh - when she steals her lover, Charles Hamilton.

After starring in the iconic movie, Alicia didn't embark on a Hollywood career, instead opting to move back to Charleston in 1941 and devote much of her time to sketching and painting.

Other surviving cast members from 'Gone With The Wind' include 97-year-old Olivia de Havilland, 93-year-old Mary Anderson and 81-year-old Mickey Kuhn.